Wilfred Ndidi’s 8.1 rating vs Crystal Palace: How Super Eagles star emulated Erling Haaland

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi scored a first-half stoppage-time goal and earned the highest FotMob rating among Besiktas players in Thursday’s 2-2 Europa League draw against Crystal Palace.

The Super Eagles captain struck in the first-half stoppage time, running onto Salih Ozcan’s pass behind the Palace defence and finishing low into the bottom corner with his left foot. It was his first goal of the season and put Besiktas 1-0 up at Tupras Stadium, despite Palace dominating much of the first half.

🇳🇬💫 Wilfred Ndidi with a clever run to score for Beşiktaş last night in the Europa League. pic.twitter.com/cs0jIBZ9RD

— Soar Africa! (@SoarAfrica) October 23, 2026

Palace turned the game around after the break through Yeremi Pino six minutes after the restart, before Jean-Philippe Mateta turned the game around four minutes later, pouncing on a loose back pass for his first goal of the season.

Junior Olaitan came off the bench to level the game in the 73rd minute by dispossessing Anan Khalaili and beating two defenders before shooting low. Besiktas held on with 10 men after Umit Akdag was sent off late on.

Wilfred Ndidi vs Crystal Palace: Goal, 8.1 FotMob rating and match highlights

Ndidi’s 8.1 FotMob rating was second only to Pino’s 8.5 across both teams. Olaitan and Khalaili followed on 7.8. Ndidi played the full 90 minutes and was booked in the first half.

His goal came against the run of play. Palace had 24 touches in the opposition box to Besiktas’ 10 and took eight shots to five.

Mateta, who was involved in an interesting duel with the Super Eagles captain, also had an early effort ruled out for offside, so Ndidi’s finish gave Besiktas a lead their first-half display barely justified.

Mateta vs Ndidi. What a duel! 😭😂 pic.twitter.com/FN8NsfvJ4k

— Goal Gossip (@Goal_Gossip1) October 22, 2026

How Wilfred Ndidi’s finish mirrored Erling Haaland

The goal had the look of a Haaland finish: a clean run in behind and a low strike across the goalkeeper into the corner, all with the left foot. That is unusual for Ndidi, who isn’t a reliable goalscorer, or even left-footed.

PRIA TANGGUH ITU BERNAMA ERLING HAALAND. 🔥🥶 pic.twitter.com/amgeTtMsOH

— Extra Time Indonesia (@idextratime) October 18, 2026

Goals have never been central to his game. He scored 18 times in 303 appearances for Leicester City, and has scored three in 43 for Besiktas since his arrival in August 2025.

This was his first of the 2026/27 campaign. A goal of this quality from a defensive midfielder is a rare return for a player better known for tackles and interceptions.

Why the Palace display matters for Ndidi and Besiktas

The performance came at a useful moment. In the Super Lig, Ndidi has made seven appearances this season, with one start and 167 minutes in total.

He came on for only five minutes in Monday’s 2-0 defeat at Trabzonspor, three days before the Palace game. In the Europa League, he has been given more time as he played 89 minutes in Besiktas’ 3-2 win at Hoffenheim last week and the full 90 against Palace.

Ndidi also played 90 minutes in Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifier against Madagascar last month and Guinea-Bissau, earning 7.5 and 7.3 ratings respectively, so his recent international form has been steady.

The draw extended Besiktas’ unbeaten run in European home games to five. It leaves them eighth in the Europa League with seven points from three games, after a 4-1 win over Marseille in their opener.

The match also produced a link with Ndidi’s national-team duties: Olaitan, who plays for Benin and had two assists in the 4-1 win over Marseille, scored the equaliser. The former Genk midfielder said last month that Olaitan should have waited before choosing Benin over Nigeria.

The question now is whether this display earns Ndidi more starts in the Super Lig, where his minutes have been limited, and whether his goal-scoring touch can become part of what he offers Besiktas.